Carl Albert softball heads back to state

October 16, 2024 |

Carl Albert softball players celebrate after winning a regional championship. Photo by Jeff Harrison

By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon

The Carl Albert softball team hit some rough patches early in the year.

But they’re hitting their stride when it counts most.

The Lady Titans swept a regional tournament last week to qualify for the Class 5A state tournament. It is the team’s 16th straight state tournament appearance.

“Making state feels really good knowing that we lost a lot of seniors last year and knowing that we have a lot of underclassmen getting the job done,” said junior Bailey Rusche. “It makes it more enjoyable knowing that we’ve overcome some failures earlier in the year.”

Carl Albert punched their ticket Thursday with a 5-1 win over Altus in the regional championship at Carl Albert High School.

Senior Brenna Choate drove in two runs and scored another in the comeback win. She finished the game 3 for 3 at the plate.

Altus took the lead in the top of the first inning. Choate stole home in the second inning, tying the score at 1-1. Then in the third, Choate singled to right, scoring Alexis Miller for a 2-1 lead. Choate singled in another run in the sixth for the 5-1 victory.

“That felt really good to get the hits,” Choate said. “They’re not a slouch of a team and it was a great game.”

Kynlee Sutton had two hits and was the winning pitcher. She did not allow an earned run in seven complete.
Carl Albert opened the regional with a 12-0 win over Ardmore last Wednesday afternoon.

AJ Bennett was 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs. Bailey Rusche was 2 for 2 with a triple and two RBIs.

Senior pitcher Haylee Ringwald threw a three-inning no-hitter for the win.

Later that day, the Lady Titans took care of Altus, 7-2, in the second round. They scored seven runs on seven hits and took advantage of six errors by the Lady Bulldogs.

LaValley and Choate had two hits apiece and Miller added a triple.

Madison Ethridge picked up the win in the circle. She did not allow an earned run in seven innings.

Carl Albert beat Altus again on Thursday afternoon to win the regional championship.

“I’m super excited because at the beginning of the season we were a little rocky and we pushed through the ups and downs,” said junior Journi LaValley.

The Lady Titans replaced several seniors from last year’s team. They were around .500 through the first month and a half of the season, before finishing strong.

“It was a rollercoaster start of the season,” said coach Garrett Wages. “We were trying to find the right mesh of the defensive and offensive lineup. We were pretty consistent in the circle. Once we found that, it kind of clicked. It’s all up to the girls. They deserve all the credit. They had their backs against the wall earlier in the season and struggled a little bit. But at the end of the day, they came out regional champions and we ended up going to state, which is the expectation here at Carl Albert.”

The 5A state tournament is set for Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, formerly known as USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex.

The Lady Titans open against Pryor at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Carl Albert lost in the first round at state last year, following a semifinal run in 2022.